American Chemical Society
Combustion and Burning
On Earth, a candle flame points up, but on the International Space Station, it forms a sphere. Young scientists practice their skills by recording observations before, during, and after a candle burns. Chemical and physical...
Towson University
Looking Backwards, Looking Forward
How do scientists know what Earth's climate was like millions of years ago? Young environmental scholars discover how researchers used proxy data to determine the conditions present before written record. Grouped pupils gain experience...
Discover Earth
Weather Stations
Transform your classroom into a fully functioning weather station with this series of hands-on investigations. Covering the topics of temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and cloud formation, these activities engage young...
Safe Routes to School
Pollution & Evolution
Bring together a study of two major scientific topics with a lesson plan on the relationship between pollution and evolution. With the help of a PowerPoint presentation, hands-on activity. and class demonstration young scientists...
National Wildlife Federation
Why All the Wiggling on the Way Up? CO2 in the Atmosphere
The climate change debate, in the political arena, is currently a hot topic! Learners explore carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere and what this means for the future in the 11th installment of 12. Through an analysis of carbon dioxide...
Global Oneness Project
Witnessing Icebergs
Camille Seaman's photoessay, "Witnessing Icebergs" documents just a tip of the problem of climate change through images of icebergs in both the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. After viewing the haunting images, viewers respond...
Kenan Fellows
Terrarium in a Bottle: Modeling the Atmosphere, Greenhouse Effect, and Water Cycle
You've heard of farm to table ... but what about farm in classroom? Junior agriculturalists embark upon a two-week journey into the science of growing things. Based upon the classic terrarium in a two-liter experiment, the lesson goes...
CK-12 Foundation
Coriolis Effect: Flying... South?
It turns out there's a lot more to heading south for the winter for migratory birds! Study the Coriolis Effect with a fun, hands-on teaching tool. Pupils take to the skies as a small red bird bound for the tropics from his frosty home at...
Colorado State University
How Can Clouds Keep the Air Warmer?
Condensing water warms the air around it. Young scholars consider this concept as they experiment with air temperature around evaporating and condensing water vapor. They simulate the formation of clouds to experience the associated...
Science Matters
Slip Sliding Along
The San Andreas Fault is the largest earthquake-producing fault in California. In the seventh lesson in the 20 part series, pupils create maps of California, focusing on the San Andreas Fault system. The comparison of where...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Nature Walk and Ecosystem Introduction
A food web has no organism higher than a tertiary consumer because there wouldn't be enough energy left to sustain them. The fourth installment in a seven-part series begins with a nature walk to get pupils thinking about their...
Curated OER
The Science of Changing Seasons
Young scholars explore basic principles of seasonal change, ponder the mechanisms that drive these changes, and perform experiments that show what causes the earth to heat differently during different seasons.
Curated OER
Reflections on Earth: Exploring Planet Earth from Space
Students examine satellite images of Earth and contrast images at different scales. In this exploring Earth from space lesson plan, students use satellite images to contrast images at different scales, calculate distances from the scale...
Curated OER
Changing Perspectives on the Sun's Diameter
In this sun's diameter worksheet, students use a photograph taken by the SOHO satellite of the sun showing a change in diameter from one month to another. Students find the average diameter of the sun, they determine the percent change...
Curated OER
What on Earth is a Biome?
Students explore organisms and their environments. They examine change over time
demonstrate an understanding of physical positions on Earth. They survey earth's diversity, write a report, fill in a data table created on the...
Curated OER
Annotating Change in Satellite Images
Students construct a movie using Landsat images to observe changes over time on Earth. In this satellite images lesson, students observe changes in land use over time and document one type of change they observe. They produce an...
Curated OER
Getting to the Core of Climate Change
Students investigate climate changes by graphing and analyzing ice core data from Greenland and Antarctica. They create, explain and report the pattern of data on a graph of ice core data. In addition they find relationships between the...
Curated OER
People Change the Landscape
Students examine ways in which humans have brought change to the natural environment. In this ecology and literacy lesson, students listen to the book Island Boy by Barbara Cooney. Students observe and define map-reading vocabulary as...
Curated OER
Is the Earth Preparing to Flip?
In this Earth's magnetic poles learning exercise, students read about the changes observed in Earth's magnetic field and the possible geomagnetic reversal of the north and south magnetic poles. Students answer 5 questions about the...
Curated OER
Changing Crust
In this changing crust worksheet, learners use candy bars, licorice sticks and bubble gum to simulate the 3 types of forces that change the Earth's crust. These include compressional forces, tensional forces and transversal forces. The...
Curated OER
Climate Change
Young scholars discuss problems associated with a world climate change. They examine how animals would be affected if the world heated up.
Curated OER
How Life on Earth Began
Seventh graders investigate the concept of evolution and how it was a mechanism for the foundation of life on Earth. They conduct research and attempt to make cognitive connections with the evidence to agree with the presupposition of...
Curated OER
Middle and Recent Earth History
In this middle and recent Earth history learning exercise, students are given 20 statements about the changes in the Earth and life on Earth and they determine if they are true or false. If the statements are false, students change the...
Curated OER
Changes in the New Nation
Students explore how technology has slowly changed the world, starting in the 18th Century. In this United States History lesson, students work in teams to complete numerous activities that compare and contrast life before and...